Combustion of hydrocarbon fuels in internal-combustion engines is a major contributor to an increase in carbon dioxide content in Earth atmosphere, which according to prevailing scientific consensus contributes to global warming. It is also responsible for the import of foreign oil, which adversely affects the national trade balance account. It is therefore imperative to achieve a substantial reduction in the amount of fuel consumed by internal-combustion engines on a national scale.
Most internal-combustion engines are used in ground transportation, and most vehicles driven on American roads use piston-type engines. In such engines, fuel consumption is determined mostly by the efficiency of the thermodynamic cycle employed by the engine. Efficiency of the cycle depends on how completely the gas in the cylinder expands. An increase in expansion ratio leads to higher cycle efficiency. However, an increase in expansion is usually associated with an increase in compression, and this may lead to excessive temperature and pressure. Therefore it is highly desirable to have a system and a method for internal-combustion engine operation that permits a substantial increase in effective combustion gas expansion, without an undesirable increase in the peak combustion temperature and pressure. Such a system and a method are the subject of the present invention.